Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-03-28

The geological garden was the scene O.
thrilling and very nearly fatal accident
about O'Clock, yesterday afternoon. Il
is at that hour that the animals in the lion
house are feed. There are other animals
IN this house besides the lions, among then
fine Bengal tiger named King" an un
usually handsome beast, massive of limb
and vicious IN temper. George Robinson
his keeper. has had great deal of trouble
with him, and has often been compelled tC
resort to extreme measures in his punish
ment And yet there are times wher
King" is as docle as kitten, and Rob
inson has frequently gone into the cage
and played with the beast as boy would
with dog.
Yesterday, however, king" seemed tc
be in an unusually bad temper. tearing
up and down his cage all the forenoon
Robinson tried several times to make him
quiet down, but he was unsuccessful. He
thought, however, that kings" ugly
humor would disappear at feeding time,
and he concluded to wait until then before
administering punishment In making
his preparations to feed the animals, the
keeper has to pass before the cages num-
Der Of times, and they become very rest
less and impatient
king" on this occasion seemed to be
in a terrible rage and finally. as the keep
er passed by his cage. the tiger thrust his
immense paw through the bars and struck
the keepers arm, tearing away the cloth
ing and into the flesh.
Robinson, whose temper when aroused
is about as fiery as the tigers. became
enraged in turn, and he determined to en-,
ter the cage and conquer the beast 1t
was downright madness, but no persua-
sion of the other keepers and attendants
could prevail on the dauntless man to
give up his purpose. One of the men was
sent hurriedly to find Head Keeper Byrne
who was at that time in distant part of
the garden, SO that his authority might
prevent Robinson from doing what every
one believed to be foolish and fatal
thing. He had hardly gone, however. be.
tore Robinson had sprung to the rear oil
the cage thrown open the door, and eaped
into the beasts den, slaming TO the door
after him.
Then ensued scene which those who
saw it can never forget. Man and beast
faced each ether. and for moment Meth.
er moved an nch-the beast, Quoted by
the mans sudden entrance, glared at its
opponent apparently in utter surprise at
his reck less action the man. brave and
undaunted, and armed with only stout
whip. was positively superb as he stood
| looking steadily into the eyes of the tiger
By this time at least fifty people had
gathered in the house, and among them
Robinson's wife and child, who were
there to visit him, and had been out of
the house when the trouble began. His
and closed her eyes that she might not
see her husband torn to pieces, and his
child too young to realize the awful posi-
ton of its father, chung to its mothers
dress crying. His little voice was the
only sound that broke the stiffness.
The tiger now crouched as if about to
spring. and Robinson knew that the mo.
ment of his supreme trial had come He
awaited the attack without the culver of a
unsuccessful looking the brute fixedly
in the eye; and then it came, the tiger
bounding forward like thunderbolt.
Robinson was ready for it, and he
leaped quickly aside. the tiger being
carried by the impetus of his spring full
against the bars at the end of the cage.
As it shot by him, Robinson struck it a
heavy blow with his whip across the TANKS.
king" uttered a howl of pain and rage,
and was up and at the keeper again with
the rapidity of lightning.
This time Robinson did not fare so we'll.
One of the tigers claws caught in his arm
in passing and tore out piece of flesh.
Again the keeper applied his whip. ap-
parently unmindtul of his two wounds,
and again the tiger turned and sprang at
his would-be master, leaping straight at
his breast and striking full against it.
Robinson had not been quick enough,
and he lay stunned and molionless, the
tiger laying with his fore feet across his
body.
AT this moment. Byrne. the head-keeper.
appeared, forcing his way through the ex-
cited crowd clear up to the bars OF the cage.
With him were two assistant keepers to
whom he gave hurried directions, and they